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104-10185-10117, | 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |

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: ‘ ; NO FOREIGN DISSEY
4 COUNTRY Cuba 7 REPORT NO.
NO. PAGES 3
REFERENCES
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mace g Washington, D.C. .
cate aco. August 1964 FEO REPORT NO.

fVlPT Suse FRR AdGsSS DATE STR 21 August 1964

THIS 1S UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEMINITIVL APPRAISAL OF CONTENT (3 TENTATIVE,

sounce. A former Cuban IS officer who served with the Cuban

to Intelligence Service until Apri | 1964.

, Headquarters Comments

" ; The following report is one of a series containing por

information provided by the source and includes supp
fnformation from the records of thig Agency.

- a ™, eb e - seats CE
. It ‘la “Fequested ‘that the addressees ‘take no action on any of:
: the individuals mentioned in the personality reports without

first checking with this Agency.

Source identified a photograph of Comandante Jose
FERNANDEZ and maid that hia nickname is "Zl Gallego."

FERNANDEZ is the chief of all army training schools from
cadets up. Ho ia not connected with Cuban Intelligence.

.
.

Headquarters Comments

1. In a veport dated 11 May 1960, from an untested source,
4t was reported that one Jose FERNANDEZ, possibly identical

with the abave Subject, was a Cuban Ambassador on an

arma buying missions in Rome, . .

ry

sonality
mental

2. In June 1962 a Cuban national, untested, whose father was

an old army friend of Jose FERNANDEZ, aka "El Gallego,"

reported the following information:

FERNANDEZ ig Chief of Artillary Schools in Habana

Province; he frequently gives lectures on artillery
weapona at a School for Membera of the Western Army

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3.

. aka “El Gallego," has an office

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fe wes a captain in the aray dsring BATISTA’s time

and wat tn prison for his parss in the 4 April Movement
until his reiease. by CASTRO. FERNANDEZ sas rot known

to be a Communist and, at the tims of tbis repert (1962),
was not considered to be one Ke attended artillery
schcels in the United States (dates and places unknown) and
speaks English well. He is ell educated and well

trained for the position he holds. He 1s often referred

to as "El Gallego Fernande2." FERNANDEZ allegedly

was chief of the operation agatost the invaders of-
Playa Giron in April 1961. He was described as having
been born about 1921, being six feet one inch tall,

185 pounds, having ldght grayish eyes, light brown
hair, a fair complexion, waite even teeth, and an oval
face. He speaka with a Castilliao accent. - , :

A fairly reliable source, ip a report dated 17 July.1962, ~
Stated that Major Jose Ramon FERNANDEZ was the Chief of the
Soccion Preparacion y Organizacioa Combativa (Section for
the Preparation and Organization of Warfare - SPOC), the
Cuban Army's key man for defense against invasion, and the”
militury brains of the country. He had access to all secret —~
information.. FERNKNDEZ received his im tructions exclusively

from Fidel and Raul. CASTRO with whom he.ia in personal contact..« +;
He ‘received hig military education in the United States. . He -is
intelligent and reportedly not a Communist. —

2 thie

“\ Cuban national, untested, reported in September 1962, that

the facilities of the Military Acadesy at Camp Manegua were

peing utilized as a training center for officers, officer—
candidates and non-commissioned officers. Major Jose FERNANDEZ, ..
oa the ground floor of the first
building as you enter the camp. FERNANDEZ and a. General Exsrique
LISTER prepared all the training schedules, pamphiets, and
training aides, as well as joint exercised in which air ground
(armor and infantry) have participated.

In a 14 November 1962 report, an untested source said that
Comandante (fnu) FERNANDEZ is the only Cuban official who
is completely within the confidence of the Soviets with

respect to the military fortifications of the Habana area.

ra . .
An official Soahish Service} in a report dated 18 May 1963,
Stated that an unidentified "usually reliable source” said’
that Major Jose Ramon FERNANDEZ, known as "Zl Gallego," is
the one who made the preparation for CASTRO's trip to the
Soviet Union in February 1963. FERNANDEZ arrived in Habana
from Moscow two days before CASTRO's surprise departure.

7 . a:

SECRET §: -
. _ NO FQREIGN DISSEM

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. . a3-
ce 93 «4& fairly reliabie gource, in @ report dated 7 August 1963,
. Oo stated that she did not think FERNANDEZ was a Communist es he
‘ . ‘ has always had Catholic tendencies but that he te a correct
. -soldier and puts the military above everything. He is divorced
acd his ex-wife is living in Miami with their two daughters,
vanecis, born in 1951, and Alic}2, born in 1955.

~ r¢) ‘ .
.8. & source who is a fiigh ranking Coban military/officer who baa
‘ good contacts among Cuban officials (be has not submitted many
reports, but they appear to have been accurate) reported in —
September 1963 that Major José Ramon FERNANDEZ Alvarez, Chief oe”
of Training, General Staff of the Cuban Rebel Aray, is anti-
Communist and a military type in the strictest sense of the
word. He sticks to his military duties acd scrupuloeely
ayoids politics; he keeps himself completely isolated from
all political elements. He is proud of his present status
and thankful to CASTRO for it; for fear of losing it he
appears whwilling to undertake any kind of activity against
~ : ‘the CASTRO regime. CASTRO is undoubtedly knowledgeable of
. : ' PERNANDEZ' attitude and has sufficient confidence in him to.
retain him im his present position. CASTRO also is aware
that he has few officers with the military discipphine, --
know-how, and experience posseased by FEANANDEZ. _

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